6 local personalities talk about music in St. Augustine

Last month, I highlighted five local music personalities and what music in St. Augustine means to them. Those five individuals were just the beginning of an endless list that I hope to cover over the next year or two.

This month, I’m continuing the efforts. I spoke to another six of the Nation’s Oldest who make the cobblestone streets sound that much sweeter.

From Amphitheatre employees to a radio host and local banjo player, this town is chock full of talented folks.

Here’s what they had to say . . .

CABLE SPENCE (local banjo player and frontman of Ancient City Slickers)

ABOUT CABLE: God has endowed each of us with talent and creativity. Mine is music and art, in that order. I play the five-string banjo, an instrument whose sound is uniquely recognizable whether classical, Broadway, blues or bluegrass. Banjos are not for everyone, but then God didn't make me like everyone.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO CABLE: St. Augustine has always been a gathering place for musicians and for some fame. Jimmy Buffett, Danny Taylor and Gamble Rogers for example. The current crop of St. Augustine-based musicians satisfy musical tastes from classical to "What was that"? Then, there's the Ancient City Slickers, a band that ignores genre and makes each song singular toe tappers, knee slappers, (your own preferably) and a few, buckle polishers.

TOMMY BLEDSOE (local musician and cultural advocate)

ABOUT TOMMY: Tommy grew up in Appalachia’s musical heartland. His neighbors included pioneers of popular country music and frolic facilitators of all varieties. His hardworking family afforded him the opportunity to seek horizons beyond the place of his birth. Averse to cold weather, he imagined a life in Florida and, with his wife, Joy, he made St. Augustine his home.

Tommy worked in the arts, touring worldwide with theatrical and musical partners. He was Operations Manager of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre during its renaissance and renovation. Tommy is the Arts and World Language Curriculum Specialist for the St. Johns County School District.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO TOMMY: St. Augustine is an arts mosaic and music is the grout that holds it together. Music is treasured by the public and undervalued by most civic leaders and the business community.

Musicians are the first to be asked to work for nothing and can expect to be compensated as they did 30 years ago. No event is successful without music, but musicians seldom share in the success. As luck would have it, very few musicians play solely for the money, so there is no shortage of musicians willing to share the joy of song and tune with an audience. I enjoy being paid for my music, but that does not stop me from spending hours playing and singing for nothing. Maybe it keeps me from taking myself too seriously. A smile and a twinkle in an eye are worth a million dollars, although Winn-Dixie may not agree.

JOHN “JB” BIRNEY (local radio host and music fanatic)

ABOUT JB: John “JB” Birney is in his 29th year as a financial advisor and the owner of JBirney Financial. He’s currently a member of The Flagler Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia. JB’s also spent 12 years as a radio personality hosting “Good Morning Americana” every Saturday morning on WFCF 88.5FM.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO JB: Music in St. Augustine is like an ever-expanding growth industry. Do you remember before Café Eleven and The Amphitheatre? Back in 1997, I had to travel to Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa to see the few national/regional tours that could make it through Georgia.

Being a total live music junkie, I’m constantly seeking out the best bands, harvesting musical fruits and airing the tastiest tunes on the radio.

Along with some superb smaller venues, we can now include The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and The Standard in helping showcase St Augustine’s expanding musical “gravitas”. And, it keeps on growing.

RYAN MURPHY (general manager of The St. Augustine Amphitheatre)

ABOUT RYAN: Thanks to spending hours on a living room floor when I was a child listening to my parents play amazing records, giving me musical history lessons and taking me to an array of incredible concerts, my inherit love and passion for music was fostered at an early age and has truly led me down incredible roads.

I have traveled the world making "music." I have worked at a record label for a decade.

I have booked bands from every corner of the earth, organized festivals and managed amazing venues and clubs. Music has given me a life rich with amazing people, artists and pure passion.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO RYAN:

I played my first show ever in a packed, sweaty room in an old record store called "FUSE RECORDS" on Cordova when I was 16 years old and it changed my life forever. Because of that, I have always felt a dedication to the music community of St. Augustine.

I am excited to be part of such an amazing community that is vibrant, unique and that offers enthusiastic and open arms to an ever-growing musical climate.

I would say that we are "lucky" to be gaining the attention of amazing artists from around the world more and more, but it is not luck that is bringing them to St. Augustine. It is the enthusiasm and passion that the audiences and the local community offer to the artists that come here. It is the amazingly rich history and artistic community that they find here in St. Augustine.

I find it encouraging that the more the music community grows in St. Augustine: the more amazingly talented musicians are finding themselves inspired, the more venues of all size and taste are being supported and the brighter the spotlight is shining on St. Augustine to showcase what a special place it truly is.

NATACHA MCLEOD (marketing & community relations manager of The St. Augustine Amphitheatre)

ABOUT NATACHA: Music, especially live music, is such a powerful force. It has the ability to speak without words and express all of the major emotions. Music is my first love. As long as I could remember, I have wanted to be involved in disseminating music to the masses. Luckily enough, here I am.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO NATACHA: The music scene in St. Augustine has grown leaps and bounds in the two years I have lived here.

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre and Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, where I am fortunate enough to work, consistently attract first class artists from around the world, but other venues and festivals in this area thrive thanks to the support of the community.

The Gentlemen of the Road event in September is a prime example of the progress and growth the area is sustaining. The music industry, and the world, is starting to take note of this little gem we call St. Augustine — due to the rich history, vibrancy and pride of the residents.

I am proud to be a part of the music scene in St. Augustine and St. Johns County, and hopefully will leave a lasting impact on this community that extends beyond just concerts but into enriching people's lives.

RICK AMBROSE (local musician and concert promoter)

ABOUT RICK: Started music career at age 12 playing trumpet, cornet, piano and guitar, but dropped all at age 14 when I started playing drums. Played many Kansas-based bands in the late 60's early 70's including the original Red Barons (hard rock/psychedelic) and Albatross (nine-piece jazz/rock). In 1969, I toured a summer with my old buddies in original band Kansas as roadie, drum tech and moral support and then headed to Europe and North Africa. I started a music-booking agency in the 80's and moved to St. Augustine in 1994. I discovered and have managed blues legend Willie Green since 2002, and continue to play drums in Willie's band Willie Green’s Blues Project, which includes well-known dedicated local players. I also continue to produce several other local bands and local music festivals. My main employment is in film production and coordinating. I’m one of the founders of the St. Augustine film office.

WHAT MUSIC IN ST. AUGUSTINE MEANS TO RICK: When I moved to St. Augustine I was surprised at the great live music interest here. That was 1994.

In the years since, I have witnessed and been a part of the awesome live music and arts growth. The amount of talent here is incredible! With the help of our cultural arts council, art and music has grown to challenge much larger cities.

The Amphitheatre, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and clubs like Cafe 11 and The Standard have put St. Augustine on the level of Austin, Texas. We have art galleries, live (Limelight) theatre, art walks, all sizes of festivals and every venue includes live music. A lot of great folks have helped make this happen with dedication and putting in many countless hours. I could list a lot of names here.

As they do, I love music and I love St. Augustine. I hope to see the music grow here to a world-class level. I am glad to see the big acts come to town, but I want to see the local musicians open more of these shows and paid fairly at local venues and clubs. They put in a lot of hours so you can enjoy live music with your meal and drinks. Please, support live music!